Rhuu
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Posted - 2005.04.13 09:40:00 -
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Somewhere to the sides and center of this argument is this idea that there is that there is a singular set of ideals that is going to lead the way to the posthuman future. If we were to believe that only one paradigm of evolution in thought or in body were possible, then the lot of us, the children of the four Empires should just give up now. The Jove are clearly already the leaders in posthuman development, and will continue to be as such until there are no distinguishable differences between a Jove and a not-Jove.
There are three areas by which one can become something beyond human, and each of our mother cultures seems to have different emphases on how they wish to acknowledge and develop these aspects. These aspects are in mind, in body, and in the social/emotional/spiritual.
Posthumans, then, are those which are not within the human bounds in the above aspects. There are MANY valid ways that one could achieve an evolved status, and to name a few favorites:
1. The cyborg. Implants, prosthetics, neural interfaces. A paradigm that replaces and enhances the body, and augments, and enhances, but does not fundamentally change the makeup of the mind. All pod pilots have begun down this path, but by no means are we anywhere near the limitations of cybernetic technology. It may not be long before one of us becomes fully integrated with his starship, for instance--the 'human' form of the body merges with the ship, perhaps, allowing for greater control over ship systems than is possible even with a pod, but without the pleasures and drawbacks of being of the flesh.
2. The genetic upgrade. Remap neural pathways, redesign the genetics of a clone to be stronger, more efficient, more flexible, more durable, or any combination of the above. To take another example that might be applicable to future pilots, recall the legend of the whale: a giant fish that, it is said, was the size of a frigate and swam vast oceans without ever seeing the shore. Ignoring the idea that this was just a metaphor for pre-historic space travel, we can seize upon the idea that the flesh might be reengineered, that an organic version of a warp drive might be created, fueled, and maintained by living systems, that a person's body might be a ship, and not a ship be a person's prosthetic body, as above.
3. The Hive and variants. Social structures may evolve. Through cybernetics or genetics faster, clearer, and more perfect forms of communication might be possible. With this would come greater understanding of every person and the ability to share an idea with all minds at the same time, and have many people help you work on different parts of a problem simultaneously, much in the way parallel computers work today. A social development in such a system might mean that the greater understanding creates an interpersonal harmony which allows all persons to act as part of a greater will.
4. The beast. Perhaps the future of man is as a creature that works entirely on intuition. The enhanced development of mind and body for a self-sufficient individual may create a man who seems to be able to act on a situation while a baseline human has yet to register a problem in his mind. The actions of this creature would seem brutal and efficient. This is exactly what they would be.
5. As gods... Enlightenment comes from a quest for perfection. From the quest for perfection in strength, one may become undefeatable in battle. From the quest for perfection in pacifism, one may find themselves without battles brought to them. Both examples would be nigh omnipotent, both would understand pain, perseverance, disappointment, struggling, striving, hope, deception, gain, and loss. There will be many dead bodies lining either path, and in the end, will the pacifist know himself from the warrior? You got me.
The real heart of the matter is this: there is no path to enlightenment. There is no track to follow to a better body. There is no such thing as a perfect social structure.
There are many paths to enlightenment, and a person can walk all of them in succession, or many of them at the same time. There are many methods to changing and enhancing your body, and many are reversible, and most are probably compatible.
So quit arguing and start looking towards your own evolution, and the evolution of those around you, if you have an interest in that sort of thing.
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